ACC roundup: Clemson’s Tajh Boyd stars in blowout

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Tajh Boyd has 102 career touchdowns after throwing for three and rushing for one.

Associated Press
September 29, 2013

Tajh Boyd became the second Atlantic Coast Conference quarterback to account for 100 career touchdowns and got No. 3 Clemson’s offense back on track in a 56-7 victory over Wake Forest on Saturday in Clemson, S.C.

Boyd threw for three touchdowns and rushed for another score. His 102 touchdowns put him in the ACC’s century club with former North Carolina State star Philip Rivers (112). Boyd passed for 311 yards and ran for 69 to surpass Charlie Whitehurst as Clemson’s all-time total offense leader.

The Tigers (4-0, 2-0) have won their first four games for the second time in Boyd’s three seasons as starter. He had been out of synch the previous two games, but found his rhythm quickly against Wake Forest (2-3, 0-2).

Boyd had touchdown throws of 64 yards to Sammy Watkins, 75 yards to D.J. Howard, and 14 yards to Mike Williams as Clemson built a 35-7 halftime lead.

East Carolina 55, North Carolina 31 — Shane Carden threw three touchdown passes and ran for three scores to help the Pirates (3-1) earn their first win in Chapel Hill, N.C., in nearly four decades.

Vintavious Cooper ran for a career-high 186 yards for the Pirates, who had lost to the Tar Heels (1-3) in each of the past four seasons — all by 14 points or more. Cooper added eight catches for 70 yards, powering the Pirates in a surprisingly one-sided win against an instate rival.

East Carolina had beaten North Carolina (1-3) on the road once before. That came in 1975, before four Pirates assistant coaches were even born.

A week after giving up 55 points to Duke, Pitt’s defense shut down the Cavaliers (2-2, 0-1). Virginia managed just 188 total yards. David Watford completed 15 of 36 passes for 122 yards and Virginia never threatened

Virginia pounded away at Savage, preventing Pitt’s high-powered passing attack from getting going. Savage was sacked nine times and didn’t come out for Pitt’s final series.

Miami 49, South Florida 21 — Stephen Morris threw for two TDs before limping off with an ankle injury and Duke Johnson scored a TD in his eighth straight game, helping the No. 15 Hurricanes (4-0) rout the host Bulls (0-4).

Miami is off to its best start in nine years heading into next weekend’s ACC opener at home against Georgia Tech.

USF is off to the worst start in program history and has dropped 13 of 14 dating to last season.

Morris threw for 222 yards, moving ahead of Steve Walsh and into ninth place on Miami’s career passing list. Johnson had a 4-yard TD run in the second quarter and totaled 84 yards on 14 carries.

N.C. State 48, Central Michigan 14 — Shadrach Thornton and Matt Dayes each had long scoring runs during a four-touchdown second quarter for the host Wolfpack (3-1) in their rout of the Chippewas (3-1).

Thornton finished with 71 yards and his 29-yard scoring run came shortly before Dayes’s 42-yard TD for N.C. State, which scored touchdowns on offense, defense, and special teams.

Duke 38, Troy 31 — Brandon Connette threw three TD passes and ran for two more to lead the host Blue Devils (3-2), who snapped a two-game skid with the win over the Trojans (2-3).